Support assembly for folding door



Dec. 2, 1969 r o. L. MILLER ET AL 3,480,988

SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR FOLDING DOOR Filed Sept. 20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. Fig. 2

I I l 4 3a Donald L Mil/er Gaylord A. Moncada INVENTORS D. MILLER ET AL 3,480,988

SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR FOLDING DOOR Dec. 2, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1967 Dona/(IL. Miller Gaylord A. Mancada and 4404;?

IN VENTORS Ammq:

I III] 11 United States Patent 3,480,988 SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR FOLDING DOOR Donald L. Miller and Gaylord A. Moncada, Miami, Fla., assignors to Daryl Industries, Inc., a corporation of Florida Filed Sept. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 669,004 Int. Cl. A47h 13/12; A47k 3/04 US. (:1. 16-872 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an assembly for supporting vertical rail members to which are attached panel strips forming a slidable, folding door. The means for supporting the aforementioned vertical rails include projecting glides which slide freely within the track of a horizontal rail.

A significant problem which is frequently encountered in the installation of folding doors is that of cumbersome handling unfortunately necessitated by irremovable glide or roller assemblies attached to door panels contained between top and bottom rails. This type of construction requires manipulation of the door attached to supporting rails during installation. Certain types of folding door structure utilize glides or rollers which are fastened to the panel assembly by screws thus allowing the installation of the panel assembly after the top and bottom tracks have been installed. However,, this construction requires a great deal of preparatory time for secrewing the door panels to the glides. Consequently, a need exists for a folding door support assembly which allows the installer to install top and bottom rails first and then quickly and easily attach the door panels thereon.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a support assembly for folding door panels resiliently supported between vertical rails which contain apertures on either end of each rail which may be slipped over a slitted glide and snapped into position thereon. Such a severable construction provides ease in storing the door members as well as installation of same which is easily and rapidly accomplished by snapping the panel structure onto the supporting glides contained within the top and bottom rails. In addition, the track portion of the top and bottom rails contain recesses for reception of detent beads formed on the bottom base surface of the end glides thereby locking the folding door in position along the rail length at those points where locking would :be desirable for the purpose of retaining the door in an open or fully closed position. In prior constructions, the locking of the folding door was somewhat accomplished "by the frictional engagement of the glides with the rail tracks. A slight misalignment of the top and bottom rails with the horizontal would cause the sliding of the glides from the desired open or closed position. The detent member in the present invention obviates the aforementioned disadvantage and provides for positive locking of the door in a preselected open or closed position.

It is thereforean important object of the present invention to provide a support assembly for folding doors which provides for positively locking the door along the rail length in preselected positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide snap type slitted glide members which permit rapid and simple installation of panel members to top and bottom supporting rails.

Still another object is to provide separable structural assemblies for a folding door.

A further object is to provide a support assembly for folding doors which permits installation of a panel assembly to the rail glides without tools.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a closed folding door typically utilized as a shower door mounted above a bathtub;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the door shown in FIGURE l but in the open position;

FIGURE 3 is a broken top sectional view taken substantially along horizontal plane 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a broken top sectional view taken substantially along the horizontal plane 4--4 shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective of the end glide specifically illustrating a detent bead;

FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective of the end glide showing the main body thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a broken rear elevational view of the top or bottom rail illustrating that portion of the rail length in which a recess is formed; and

FIGURE 8 is a side sectional view taken substantially along vertical plane 8--8 shown in FIGURE 7, illustrating the cross-sectional profile of the top or bottom rail.

FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate the shower door 1 installed over a bathtub 16 for which the new support assembly is especially useful. Said assembly includes flexible door panels 28 mounted upon panel retaining rails 24 which are suspended between top rail 20 and bottom rail 22 and contained between side rails 18 and 19.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, a number of glides 2 made plastic, nylon or other suitable material are inserted within tracks in rails 20 and 22. Both rails are supported by side rails 18 and 19. Connecting the two end glides 2 is rail conductor 38 which contains integrally formed inside handle 26. Suspended between corresponding top and bottom glides contained within top and bottom rails 20 and 22 respectively are the panel retaining rails 24 into which are inserted the resilient panels 28. One edge of each panel 28 is inserted into one edge of a panel retaining rail 24 and the opposite edge of the panel is inserted within an adjoining edge of an adjoining panel retaining rail 24. Each panel edge is held within its associated panel retaining rail by a headed retaining pin 36 which retains the panel edge flange 34 within retaining groove 32.

Recesses 42 and 43 are formed within each of the rails 20 and 22 for locking the end glide in the open or closed position respectively. FIGURES 7 and 8 particularly illustrate the formation of said recesses within the top and bottom rails.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6 of the drawings, glide 2 structurally includes the base 4 containing flange portion 6 utilized in limiting glide motion transverse to the rail length. Perpendicularly disposed from base 4 is shank 8 at the top edge of which provides a shoulder for panel retaining rail 24 when it is mounted thereon. Neck 10 of reduced cross-sectional area projects from the shoulder portion of shank 8 and engages the interior surface of aperture 31 as illustrated in FIG. 3. The outer end of shank 8 on glide 2 consists of a generally spherical head 12 with a base planar surface which provides a shoulder for engaging the outer surface of aperture 31 in panel retaining rail 24. The end glides have on the underside of base 4 a detent bead 14 which engages recesses 42 and 43 thereby locking end glides 2 in a fixed position along the length of top and bottom rails 20 and 22 respectively. The outward composite projection of shank, neck and head is slitted lengthwise of the projection as at 44 to form symmetrical projecting portions. The slitted structure permits the flexing of the two projecting portions toward one another when the rail aperture 31 is positioned over the glide head 12 and subsequently retained between the shoulder surface of shank 8 and the shoulder surface of neck 10 thereby permitting attachment of each panel retaining rail 24 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The intermediate glides differ from that shown in FIGS. and 6 of the drawings by virtue of the inclusion of an additional flange on the base 4 thereby further decreasing the movement of the glides in a direction transverse to the top and bottom rail lengths. In addition, the intermediate glides to dot include the detent bead 14 since it is desirable that only the end glides control the locking engagement of the panel door.

The operation of the folding door will best be appreciated by referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings. The panel door is opened to the position shown in FIG- URE 3. When the detent bead 14 of corresponding end glides engage recesses 42 the door becomes locked in this position. Grasping inside handle 26 and flexing same in a manner to force the detent beads from their recesses frees the door from engagement with rails 20 and 22. A sequent sliding force on the handle causes the door to close fully to that position shown in FIG- URE 4. The door will lock in this position when the end glide detent bead 14 engages the recess 43.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described.

What is claimed as new is as follows: 1. A folding door support assembly comprising at least one horizontal rail including a track extending along the length thereof, said track characterized by recessed portions at preselected distances along said track, and glides insertably mounted within said rails, a preselected number of said glides including detent means for engaging said recesses thereby preventing sliding movement of said glides along said rail.

2. An assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said detent means comprises a bead projection associated with the sliding surface of said glide.

3. The support assembly defined in claim 2 wherein said glides further include a base, a resilient, slitted supporting member disposed perpendicularly to said glide base and projecting from the base surface opposite the glide sliding surface, said slitted resilient member being transversely and releasably compressible for allowing an aperture in a vertically oriented rail to be placed over and engaged by said member upon release of compressive forces exerted by said engaging aperture.

4. The construction recited in claim 3 wherein said glide base includes at least one flange projecting in a direction similar to that of said slitted supporting member for limiting the transverse movement of said glide in said track and further wherein said slitted supporting member is characterized by a shank portion, a neck portion and a head portion, said vertically oriented rail held in place on said member between said bead and shank portions, thereby causing the interior wall of said aperture to entrain said neck portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,329,889 2/1920 Edsall et al. l687.4 2,897,515 8/1959 Collins.

3,378,879 4/1968 Stall -33 XR 2,848,734 8/1958 Avlt 160-345 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 580,378 8/1958 Italy.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 160330 

